ART/SNEAK PEEK : NEW GALLERY BOASTS OF `OFF THE RAMP' LOCATION.

Pay a visit to Tara's Gallery in Woodland Hills and you'll easily grasp why its inaugural group exhibition is titled ``Off the Ramp ... On the Wall.'' Located in a narrow strip mall just north of the Ventura Freeway, the 6-month-old gallery is easily missed by motorists zipping along the Shoup Avenue exit.

But hang a sharp right at the bottom of the ramp, into La Plaza Center, and you'll practically run straight into the storefront gallery, which sits diagonally across from the Star Cafe.

Owner Tara Mozafarian, a painter herself, says she intends to promote contemporary Valley artists, who traditionally have had fewer outlets for their work than their Westside colleagues. Accordingly, ``Off the Ramp'' showcases four contemporary painters - Marilyn English, M. Rheuban, Robert Stoller and Mozafarian - who met as art students at nearby Pierce College.

``Off the Wall'' is running through May 10 at 22311 Ventura Blvd., No. 118. Hours are 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, or by appointment. For information, call [phone].

Artist of the base paths

From a half-century's distance, it's hard to fully appreciate all that Jackie Robinson achieved in shattering pro baseball's color barrier.

When Robinson broke into the Brooklyn Dodgers' organization in 1947, he didn't just add a new dimension of speed and daring to the national pastime. The Pasadena native also changed the iconography of popular culture. Suddenly, an African-American man could be a hero, a face on a magazine cover, a fantasy figure alongside Babe Ruth and John Wayne. Boldly clad in Dodger blue-and-white, Robinson also embodied black middle-class demands for a share of the American Dream.

The Simon Wiesenthal Center's Museum of Tolerance is honoring Robinson's efforts this month. At the museum through June 30, ``Stealing Home: How Jackie Robinson Changed America'' is a multimedia exhibition focusing on Robinson's on- and off-the-field accomplishments within the context of postwar American society.

In addition, a traveling ``Stealing Home'' exhibit is visiting National League cities this spring, turning up in Cleveland in time for the July All-Star Game. The exhibition will make use of more than 100 visual items on loan from the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y., and the Jackie Robinson Foundation, plus film clips from Robinson's playing career and interviews with former teammates.

The museum is located at 9760 W. Pico Blvd. Hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. Admission is $8 for adults, $6 for seniors, $5 for students with ID, $3 for children ages 3-10. For information, call [phone].

Poetry in motion

Carl Schlosberg Fine Arts in Sherman Oaks will honor world-renowned kinetic sculptor George Rickey - still active at 90 - with an exhibition May 4 through June 1. The artist is expected to attend an opening reception at the gallery, 15447 Valley Vista Blvd.

Rickey's oddly angled, oversize rectangular sculptures can be found in private collections and public spaces all over the world, from Battle Creek to Berlin. The artist refers to his simple linear forms as ``blades,'' a style that he believes is the most economical expression of pure movement.

For information, call [phone].

Some more of Samoa

Pasadena's Pacific Asia Museum will present ``Discover Samoa: A Samoan Arts Festival'' over the next two weekends. Including displays of traditional Samoan crafts and culture, as well as lectures and workshops, the festival will be held at the museum's main location, 46 N. Los Robles Ave., and also at Carson Park, 21411 Orrick Ave. at the corner of 213th Street, in Carson. For information, call [phone], Ext. 31.

CAPTION(S):

2 Photos

Photo: (1) The life and contributions of baseball legend Jackie Robinson are spotlighted in the multimedia ``Stealing Home,'' at the Siamon Wiesenthal Center's Museum of Tolerance through June 30.

(2) Art dealer Carl Schlosberg, left, will host an exhibition of works by famed kinetic sculptor George Rickey, 90, at his Sherman Oaks gallery beginning May 4.